Unofficial SAT WORD Dictionary - A WORDS
Terms
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- abacus
- n. a Chinese device used to perform arithmetic equations by moving beads along rods
- abase
- v. to degrade; to humiliate
- abash
- v. to make ashamed or uneasy
- abate
- v. to reduce
- abbess
- n. a woman, commonly called Mother Superior in charge of a convent of nuns
- abbreviate
- v. to reduce to a shorter form
- abdicate
- v. to step down from a powerful position
- abduct
- v. to carry off a person, usually by force; to kidnap
- aberrant
- adj. straying from the correct or normal way
- abet
- v. to help someone do something illegal or wrong; to incite, encourage, or aid, especially in wrongdoing
- abeyance
- n. a state of not being presently used; temporary suspension or cessation
- abhor
- v. to hate deeply; detest
- abide
- v. to remain; continue; stay; endure
- abut
- v. border upon; to adjoin
- abject
- adj. extremely sad; hopeless; defeated
- abjure
- v. to repudiate or renounce; to give up
- ablution
- n. a cleansing with water or other liquid, especially as a religious ritual; the liquid used in such an act
- abnegate
- v. to deny oneself; to reject
- abominate
- v. to hate or loathe intensely
- aboriginal
- adj. native to an area
- abortive
- adj. unsuccessful
- abound
- v. to exist in large numbers; to be full; teem
- abridge
- v. to shorten; to condense; to diminish; to curtail
- abrogate
- v. to abolish, repeal, or nullify by authority; to do away with; to end formally
- abscond
- v. take flight, escape, to leave quickly and secretly
- absolute
- adj. total; complete
- absolve
- v. to make free of blame, obligation, or sin
- abstain
- v. to refrain from; denying oneself any action or practice
- abstract
- adj. difficult to understand; impersonal
- abstruse
- adj. hard to understand
- absurd
- adj. ridiculously unreasonable, laughable
- abysmal
- adj. bottomless; hopeless
- abyss
- n. bottomless pit; a profound depth or void
- accede
- v. to yield; give in to a request
- accentuate
- v. to emphasize; to make more noticeable; to accent
- access
- n. authorization or capacity to enter, look at, or use something
- acclaim
- v. to give public approval and praise; to approve enthusiastically
- acclimate
- v. to become suitable to a certain situation or use; adapt
- accolade
- n. an award, an honor; approval, praise
- accomodate
- v. to provide for; help; adapt; oblige
- accomplice
- n. a person who knowingly aids or abets another in an unlawful act or crime
- accord
- v. agree; conform; to grant; bestow upon
- accost
- v. to approach and speak to someone
- accountable
- adj. expected to answer for one's actions; responsible; liable
- accouterments
- n. the equipment needed for a particular activity or way of life; one's outfit or equipment
- accrete
- v. to increase by growth, or addition; adhere
- accrue
- v. to accumulate over time
- acerbic
- adj. sour; bitter; severe
- acme
- n. the highest point
- acquiesce
- v. to agree passively; comply; consent
- acquisitive
- adj. eager to possess and collect things; greedy
- acquit
- v. to decide officially someone is not guilty of a particular crime; to free from an obligation
- acrid
- adj. harsh; acidic
- acrimonious
- adj. bitter; nasty; spiteful
- acronym
- n. a word created from the initials of other words
- acuity
- n. sharpness, keeness of perception, deftness
- acumen
- n. mental keeness or sharpness
- acute
- adj. shrewd; sharp
- ad lib
- v. to act, speak, and perform spontaneously or off the cuff
- adage
- n. a wise saying or proverb; an old familiar saying that expresses folk wisdom
- adamant
- adj. resolute; stubborn; inflexible
- addicted
- adj. devoting (oneself) habitually or compulsively
- address
- v. to speak to
- adduce
- v. to give as proof; to cite
- adherent
- n. a follower of a leader; supporter
- adjourn
- v. to make a pause or rest; suspend until later
- adjunct
- n. something connected or added in a subordinate position; an assistant
- admonish
- v. to caution or warn; to criticize or scold mildly but firmly
- adrenaline
- n. a hormone produced by the adrenal gland; stimulation of energy and strength
- adroit
- adj. skillful; deft
- adulation
- n. extreme flattery or admiration
- adumbrate
- v. to sketch, to outline, to give a hint of things to come
- advent
- n. the arrival or beginning; coming
- adventitious
- adj. accidental or incidental; not expected or planned; irrelevant
- adverse
- adj. unfavorable; antagonistic
- advocate
- n. one who supports a cause; one who defends or pleads on behalf of another
- aegis
- n. a shield or protection
- aesthetic
- adj. having to do with artistic beauty
- affable
- adj. friendly; easy-going
- affect
- v. to influence, to impress the mind or move the feelings as emotion
- affectation
- n. false behavior intended to impress
- affidavit
- n. a sworn written statement
- affiliate
- v. to cause to become part of or to form a close relationship with; to associate or connect with
- affinity
- n. a natural attraction; kinship; similarity
- affirm
- v. to declare something to be true, to confirm or ratify
- affliction
- n. a condition of pain or suffering; the cause of misery, illness, or suffering
- afflict
- v. to cause suffering or pain
- affluent
- adj. wealthy, rich
- affront
- n. an action intended to insult or offend someone; an injury to one's dignity
- aftermath
- n. events following some occurence; a consequence of
- agenda
- n. schedule; program
- aggrandizement
- n. an exaggeration, an apearance of greater power or influence
- aggregate
- n. total; collection of different things
- aggrieve
- v. to distress or bring grief to; cause to suffer; to treat unfairly
- aghast
- adj. filled with terror; shocked; feelings of anxiety or fear
- agnostic
- n. one who believes it is impossible to know whether God exists
- agog
- adj. highly excited by eagerness
- agrarian
- adj. related to farming and land
- ague
- n. a malarial fever characterized by drastic changed of hot and cold body temperature
- ajar
- adj. partially open
- alacrity
- n. cheerful expectancy; eagerness
- alchemy
- n. a magical power or process of transmutation; a medieval study and practice of chemistry
- alcove
- n. nook, corner, any recessed space
- allegory
- n. a symbolic story
- alibi
- n. an excuse to avoid blame, a credible excuse or explanation of innocence
- alienate
- v. to make hostile; to cause to feel unwelcome or estranged
- allay
- v. to relieve, calm or pacify
- allege
- v. to state without proof
- allegiance
- n. devotion or loyalty to a person, country, or cause
- alleviate
- v. to make less severe; to relieve, to lessen
- alliterative
- adj. the repeating of initial consonant sounds in language
- allocate
- v. to assign; allot
- allot
- v. to give a share of something; allocate; appotion
- alloy
- n. combination of two or more metals
- allude
- v. to refer to indirectly
- allure
- v. to entice with something desirable; tempt
- ally
- v./n. to unite formally by treaty or league; a friend or close associate in a common cause
- alms
- n. money or goods given as charity to the poor
- aloof
- adj. distant, reserved in a manner; uninvolved
- also-ran
- n. one who is defeated in a race, election, or other competition; a loser
- altar
- n. an elevated structure, as a mound or platform where religious rites are performed
- altercation
- n. a vehement agrument, a heated quarrel
- alternative
- n. the choice between two possibilities; a situation presenting such a choice
- altruism
- n. devotion to helping others; selflessness
- amalgram
- n. fusion; compound; a blend of different things
- amass
- v. to gather or accumulate
- ambiance
- n. a mood, feeling; general atmosphere
- ambiguous
- adj. confusing; unclear as to meaning
- ambivalence
- n. indecision; experiencing contradictory emotions
- ambulatory
- adj. capable of walking
- ameliorate
- v. to make better
- amenable
- adj. agreeable, pleasant willing to give in to the wishes of another
- amend
- v. to alter, modify, improve; change for the better
- amenity
- n. a comfortable, pleasant feature
- amiable
- adj. friendly; agreeable
- amicable
- adj. possessing or showing friendliness or good will; peaceable
- amid
- prep. in the middle of or surrounded by
- amity
- n. friendship, good will, harmony
- amnesty
- n. political pardon
- amoral
- adj. lacking a sense of right and wrong; without moral feelings
- amorous
- adj. full of love; relating to love
- amplify
- v. to make larger, louder, or more powerful
- anachronism
- n. incongruity; something out of time or place in history
- analogous
- adj. comparable; similar or equivalent
- analogy
- n. a comparison of two things; similarity
- anarchy
- n. disorder; lawlessness; without government
- anathema
- n. something or someone greatly disliked or disapproved of
- ancillary
- adj. helping; providing assistance; subordinate
- androgynous
- adj. having the characteristics and nature of both male and female, neither specific
- anecdote
- n. a short, humorous story
- anemic
- adj. lacking power, vitality
- angst
- n. strong anxiety and unhappiness; a feeling of dread
- anguish
- n. agonizing pain, mental or physical
- angular
- adj. having an angle or angles; crooked; gaunt
- animated
- adj. filled with activity; vigor; movement
- animosity
- n. a feeling of ill-will; bitter hostility
- annals
- n. descriptive record; history
- annex
- n. an addition or attachment
- annotation
- n. an explanatory note added to a text
- annuity
- n. any income paid at fixed intervals
- anomaly
- n. an irregularity; a deviation from the norm
- anomie
- n. condition of an individual or of society resulting from a breakdown in standards and values
- anonymity
- n. the condition of being unknown or nameless
- antagonism
- n. active hostility or opposition
- antecedent
- n. something going before; an occurence or event preceding another
- antedate
- v. to be earlier than; precede in time; predate
- anterior
- adj. situated in front
- anthology
- n. a collection of aritistic works which usually have a similar form or subject
- anthropomorphic
- adj. ascribing human characteristics to something that is not human, i.e., animals, gods
- anticlimactic
- adj. having an end that is less important than what precedes it
- antipathy
- n. a natural basic dislike; aversion
- antipodal
- adj. situated on the opposite side of the globe; exactly opposite
- antiquity
- n. the quality of ancientness; ancient times
- antiseptic
- adj. free from germs; exceptionally clean
- antithesis
- n. the direct opposite
- antonym
- n. a word of opposite meaning; the opposite of "synonym"
- anxiety
- n. apprehension; uneasiness; nervousness; disquiet
- apathy
- n. absense or suppression of emotion or excitement
- aperture
- n. a narrow opening; usually a hole; esp. one that controls the amount of light reaching an optical instrument
- apex
- n. the highest point; peak
- aphorism
- n. a brief, witty saying
- apocalypse
- n. a prophetic prediction, esp. one concering the end of the world
- apogee
- n. the most important; the highest or most distant point, especially in space
- apoplexy
- n. the sudden loss of bodily functions caused by the rupture of a blood vessel
- apostasy
- n. the absolute rejection of one's religion, principles, or loyalties
- apotheosis
- n. the perfect example; divine
- appalling
- adj. causing dismay or horror
- apparel
- n. clothing, personal attire, something worn
- apparition
- n. a ghostly image; phantom; specter
- appease
- v. to soothe; to pacify or relieve by giving in to
- appellation
- n. a name, title, or other designation
- appendage
- n. something which exists as a smaller and less important part of something larger
- apposite
- adj. suitable and right for the occasion; fitting; appropriate
- appraise
- v. to examine something to determine the value
- appreciate
- v. to increase in value
- apprehensive
- adj. dreading or fearing coming adversity
- apprentice
- n. one who is learning a vocation
- apprise
- v. to inform; to tell; to make aware of
- approbation
- n. praise; approval
- appropriate
- v. to set aside; take without permission
- appurtenance
- n. an additional feature; something that supplements a more important thing; an accessory
- apropos
- adj. appropriate; relevant; opportune; suitable
- apt
- adj. likely; having a tendency to; suitable
- aptitude
- n. capacity for learning; natural ability
- arable
- adj. tillable, productive, able to be farmed
- arbiter
- n. judge; one who makes decisions
- arbitrary
- adj. decided by judgment rather than law or statute
- arcade
- n. a covered area or passageway in which there are shops; archways connected by pillars or columns
- arcane
- adj. unknown to the masses; mysterious
- archaic
- adj. ancient; outdated
- archetype
- n. the original model or pattern
- archipelago
- n. a large body of water containing many islands; a group of islands
- archival
- adj. pertaining to historical or public records, documents or archives
- ardent
- adj. passionate, full of desire or emotion
- arduous
- adj. hard, difficult, tiresome
- arid
- adj. having little rain; very dry; lacking imagination or feeling; uninteresting
- aristocratic
- adj. noble; snobbish
- armada
- n. a fleet of warships
- armament
- n. military supplies and weapons; the process of arming for war
- armistice
- n. an agreement between two countries or factions to stop fighting; a truce
- arraign
- v. to bring before a court of law; to respond to a charge; to accuse
- arrant
- adj. complete; unmitigated; downright; total
- array
- v. to place in an orderly arrangement for display
- arrears
- n. a debt that is late in being paid
- arrogant
- adj. feeling superior to others, overbearing
- arsenal
- n. a building where weapons and military equipment are stored; a collection of weapons; armory; any supply or store
- arson
- n. the malicious burning of a property
- artful
- adj. sly; crafty
- articulate
- v. to speak or pronounce clearly and distinctly; to express effectively
- artifact
- n. an object made by human work of archaeological or historical interest
- artifice
- n. cunning; trickery
- artisan
- n. a worker skilled in a craft
- artless
- adj. having no skill or art; crude
- ascend
- v. to go up; to rise or move upward, succeed
- ascent
- n. the act of ascending, rising or going up
- ascertain
- v. to discover; to make certain; to learn unquestionable
- ascetic
- adj. monk-like; practicing self-denial
- ascribe
- v. to attribute to a specific cause, source, or origin
- asinine
- adj. silly or stupid
- askance
- adv. with suspicion, disapproval or a lack of trust
- askew
- adj. to one side; crooked; awry
- asperity
- n. roughness or harshness, as of surface, weather, sound, or manner
- aspersion
- n. an insulting or malicious remark about someone
- aspirant
- n. someone who aspires, as to high honors or position
- aspiration
- n. strong desire to achieve a goal
- aspire
- v. to long for, aim, or seek ambitiously
- assail
- v. to attack violently
- assay
- v. to try or test; examine or analyze
- assent
- v. agree to a situation, opinion, or proposal; to concur